BOSTON, December 14, 2016—The Brighton man accused of speeding drunkenly through the Summer Tunnel, causing a single-vehicle crash that killed 24-year-old Dillon Cohen and severely injured another man, was taken into custody on high bail today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CRAIG LAWLOR (D.O.B. 6/4/92) of Brighton was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today on charges of manslaughter by motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of alcohol, and operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury.  Clerk Magistrate Edward Curley set bail in the amount of $25,000 and ordered Lawlor to remain drug- and alcohol-free while his case is pending, wear a GPS monitor, surrender his passport, and stay away from the family of the deceased victim in the event he is released on bail.  Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Grasso of the DA’s Major Felony Bureau had requested bail of $50,000.

Grasso told the court that Lawlor, Cohen, and the surviving victim — a 23-year-old New Hampshire man — were traveling in Lawlor’s 2002 Dodge Ram at more than double the Sumner Tunnel’s 35 mph speed limit at approximately 3:10 a.m. on Aug. 26, when the truck struck the right-side jersey barrier. Evidence suggests Lawlor lost control of the vehicle and then struck the left-side barrier.  All three occupants were ejected, and the truck came to a rest in the middle of the roadway.

Cohen, of Salem, N.H., suffered severe injuries to his head and body and was declared deceased at the scene.  The surviving victim was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious head and spinal injuries; he was released from a rehabilitation hospital earlier this month in what his family called “a Christmas miracle.”

Lawlor suffered only minor injuries and was captured on a Department of Transportation surveillance camera standing and walking in the tunnel before the arrival of first responders.  He was transported to Tufts Medical Center for treatment.

Private security cameras and videos posted on social media capture the men drinking at two bars – one on East Berkeley Street and later at a second bar on Summer Street – where Lawlor can be seen allegedly drinking shots, chugging full bottles of alcohol, and displaying signs of intoxication.  Additional social media postings show the men inside the Lawlor’s truck as little as 20 minutes before the fatal crash.

Evidence collected by State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office, including witness statements and footage captured by Department of Transportation cameras inside the Sumner Tunnel indicate that Lawlor was driving the truck at the time of the crash.  Blood testing indicated that his blood alcohol level less than an hour after the crash was between .23% and .25% — about three times the legal limit for driving,  prosecutors said.

Erin O’Connor is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate.  Lawlor was represented by attorney Alan Tuttman.  He returns to court tomorrow for a bail review hearing.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.